Sound distributor



Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE SOUND Drs'rnInU'roR Application filed December 13, 1926, Serial No. 154,542. Renewed September 30, 1929.

The invention relates to a sound distributor, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to clarify the tone reproduced from a record or from a broadcasting station so that the tone actually reaching the ear of the listener will be very true to the original tone; to introduce into the sound reproduced a vibratory note, as found in the ringing of bells and in the playing of many instruments, whereby the result is a clear tone, free from the surrounding influences, and exact in regard to the lighter and finer tones, which are often to a great extent slurred; to distribute the reproduced sounds in such manner that they shall be free to the air and not obstructed and deflected by barrier walls; and generally to produce a device for the aforesaid purposes at a comparatively low cost and reasonably accessible for purposes of inspection.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tone arm base carrying the sound distributor in suspension therefrom.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the sound distributor in place in the cabinet of the phonographic machine.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the sound distributor set in the cabinet, having the top plates removed and the diagonal plates shown in section.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a shelf carrying the tone arm 11 and turn table 12 adapted to carry the record. The motor 13 is shown as suspended under the shelf 10 and turn table 12 and the customary shaft projects upwardly from the motor 13 through the table 12.

The tone arm 11 is mounted in the bearings 14 surrounding the sound orifice 15 extending through the shelf 10, and on the underside ofsaid shelf 10 and also surrounding the orifice 15 the soundv conveyer 16 is rigidly secured to said shelf by the bolts 17 or by suitable rivets, in fact any kind of fastening that is secure may be inserted through the fiange18 of said sound conveyer.

The sound conveyer 16 is preferably square in the cross section and flares gradually to its delivery end and is offset inwardly in a long curve 20 from the narrow neck portion 19, the said delivery end being central in relation to the cabinet walls.

1 At the lower end the mouth section 21 of the sound conveyer 16 is rigidly secured by rivets or by other fastening to the top plate sections 22 of the delivery portion of the distributor, these plate .sections having the straight edges 23 are curved inwardly and downwardly and terminating at the straight edges 24 towards which the straight edges 25 converge, said plate sections 22 being inwardly .and downwardly curved from the outer edges 23 to the inner edges 24, thereby forming in the centre a square surrounded by the four plate sections. Of course these plate sections may be made in one piece if desired and are preferably of brass or bronze, also the conveyer 16 is preferably of the same metal, though the constructionis not restricted to metal, wood, paper or any other material, 89 and while metal in the form of brass has been, found very efficient, other materials may an swer extremely well under certain climatic conditions. r

The plates 22 with the bottom plates 27 and supporting diagonal walls 26 form a bell. The bottom plates 27 rise from outer straight edges 28 to the central peak or apex 29 centrally situated under the square inlet 30. The bell throughout is preferably formed of brass or bronzethough not confined to any material, however it has been found that a good ringing tone is produced by the brass bell and that the resonating chambers formed by the dividing walls 26 swell the tones considerably.

' It will be thus seen that the distributor and the conveyer are both suspended from the tone arm shelf and on insertion in the cabinet 31 are still suspended, being clear of the walls thereof and clear of the lower shelf 32. The

sound delivery opening 88 is in register with the openings 34 on all sides of the cabinet, thereby distributing the sounds in the four or more ways which are deflected from the conveyer through the several delivery compartments.

In the operation of this machine taking it in connection with a phonograph or other sound reproducing device, the sound waves pass from the tone arm into the c'onveyer, and from the conveyer these Waves pass through the opening at the mouth thereof, and are deflected by the apex or peak centrally situated in said opening, and these waves continue outwardly, being guided by the bottom plates and top plates to the flaring delivery openings out of which the said sound Waves are distributed in the several ways so that the air is full of the sound no matter in what direction one may listen.

As it has been before stated the complete distributor and conveyer apparatus is suspended from the tone arm shelf and this means that there is no foreign element brought into the distribution of the sounds, Which means that the hanging or suspended distributor rings out the sounds through the delivery openings in the cabinet, so that they are clarified, rounded and vibratory, giving to the listener the true rhythm of the original measures or the actual resounding of the original tone, no matter how faint or fine, due to the vibration in the original production, which is repeated in the delivery of this distributor through its direct and independent connection with the origin of the sound reproduction.

It may be said in connection with this invention that there is comparatively little change required to adapt it to the distribution of sounds from a radio machine.

What I claim is 1. A sound distributor unit in the form of a suspended bell including a tubular central support and an integral sound wave director having a central deflecting member and resonating chambers leading to a plurality of outlets.

2. A sound distributor unit in the form of a suspended bell including a tubular central support and an integral sound Wave director 7 and a plurality of side outlets and formed interiorly with sloping paths leading from a common apex centrally situated.

3. A sound distributor unit inthe form of a suspended bell including a tubular central support and an integral sound wave director and having-a plurality of side outlets and a bottom rising centrally from said side outlets anddeflecting the sound Waves.

4. A sound distributor unit in the form of a suspended bell including a tubular central support and an integral sound wave director forming a plurality of side outlets and a plurality of resonating chamberstapering and inclining upwardly from said side outlets to a common centre.

5. A sound distributor, a conveyer tube adapted to communicate with a tone arm of a sound reproducing machine and offset and .7 

